Thread: Really From the Past!

Old Sears Roebuck and Co. straight razor. The razor came in a stiched leather pouch with a coin purse clasp. I've never seen a razor case like this one. I'm hoping that the SRP membership will comment on the razor and its unusual case. It is stamped Sears Roebuck and Co. Chicago on one side of the tang and Extra German Hollow Ground on the other side of the tang. What really intrigued me is the hump on the leather case It is stiches in, that is, the leather was cut with the hump in it. It is meant to accomodate the spine side of the toe! Man, they don't do things like they used to!!! Shaves like a dream!!!

That case is a work of art! Hope the leather's still nice & supple.
What is that, 3/8? I have a tiny Helje looks about that size. Nothing stands in it's way!

The leather is suprisingly supple. There are no cracks on it. I'm going to oil the case due to your comment. Thanks for focusing on suppleness.

9/16! How big are your hands, man!
Careful what you use on the case. Oil will probably darken it significantly. It'd be a shame to change it. I can't advise on what would be best.
Enjoy them.

Would someone else comment on the wisdom of using oil on the case in the first place and also recommend what oil I should use?

Nice razor and pouch. I would get neatsfoot oil on that pouch and see how that works out for you. It's good for the strop AND the pouch

Originally Posted by blaireau

Would someone else comment on the wisdom of using oil on the case in the first place and also recommend what oil I should use?

Rich, if it is working don't fix it. If it stayed soft and supple all of these years it will until long after both of us are gone. AFAIK anything you put on it to preserve it will darken it. Nice find BTW,

I have about 5 or 6 razors with pouches like that, but NONE of them have had salvageable leather. A few Robeson's and a few Sears razors.

Great find!!

Yeah, I like this little razor but it was the pouch that first attracted me to it. I visited a true Master Honer in San Antonio, Texas and bought it from him. This fellow has been honing razors professionally for 41 years! He apprentised with his grandfather who was a Honemeister in Germany. I'm sure that the razor deserves some credit but I think that David Kern deserves most of the credit. I found his online shop an an Q/A answer section about a "Santiago" Spanish Razor that was being auctioned on eBay. It had a gorgeous Gold Stamp and wooden box which I fell in love with. You know how I get with Spanish razors :-). Naturally I bought one from the fellow who was selling then and mine turned to be the big one, a full 8/8. Anyway, I looked up David's online shop and saw that he offers a number of products included among them hand made strops and honing service. I couldn't pass up the opportunity of visiting him with a couple of razors for him to strop and me to learn, and to pick up a beautiful paddle strop that he made for me with latigo leather on one side and CrOx treated balsa on the other. After all, I live in Austin and in Texas we think of 100 miles as in the neighborhood! I'm glad that I drove down to meet David!!!